Council Leader and Deputy Leader as you've never seen them before! |
Incredibly
the rain held off for the Olympic torch, Pirate Day and the carnival and some
businesses had their busiest days ever. Then in August the weather did perk up
a bit. Overall 20,000 more cars used the seafront car parks this summer
compared to last year. So all in all the summer was a success.
Now September
too can attract visitors to the town and offer entertainment and interest for
all of us who live here.
The Heritage Open Days kick the month off. There will be guided walks, talks and
opportunities to go inside some of the heritage gems amongst our local
buildings. Burtons St Leonards, the Old Town, several of our heritage churches
will all be displaying their wares.
There is even a visit to the ‘hidden town
hall’......
Then, running for three weeks in September, there is the Coastal Currents arts festival. Coastal Currents is part of the town's regular calendar events. It gives a chance to showcase many of our local artists as well as to challenge us all with something new. Its name is growing as is that of Hastings - famously artistic.
There
will be the usual open studios weekends on 15-16th and 22-23rd
September when we get the chance to visit artists in their workspaces, chat to
them about their inspiration and even buy their work.
A
really special event for the festival will be on 23rd September with
the unveiling of a new, permanent art feature called My Heart belongs to
Hastings. Managed by art group Strange Cargo who we have wanted to do work in
Hastings for some time it is based on ordinary people decorating and personalising
a padlock and then attaching it to a structure on the shoreline.
And
then of course September wouldn’t be September in Hastings without the Seafood and Wine Festival which will again attract thousands on the weekend of 15-16th
September. All the best of local produce and local providers and culinary
experts; where else would anyone want to be that weekend?
In September, if a man is tired of Hastings, he is tired of life.